Note: I tested out Walmart’s Online Grocery service mentioned in this post, and received grocery shopping funds from Walmart in order to do so. All opinions are 100% my own.
Holiday parties are a blast. There is a lot that goes into party planning, From the planning, to prepping, to the post-party cleaning it is imperative to have everything planned out perfectly. Here are some tried and true party planning tips for a fun event!
PARTY PLANNING TIPS
Compile a Guest List
Make sure to include either the mailing address or the email address, depending on which form of invitations you choose to use. For my most recent party, I chose to create an e-invitation. It’s super easy to do and in most cases it is free, so you save on purchasing paper invitations and postage!
Determine the Menu
Depending on the time of day for the party, decide on what food you will be serving. For example, if it is during lunchtime, you can offer finger sandwiches and salads. For a party around dinnertime, hot dishes like a chicken dish or pasta would be great kept warm with sternos. Don’t forget the drink options – both non-alcoholic and cocktails. If you choose to serve alcohol, opt for a “signature drink” that you can make a large quantity of in a pitcher. This way it will be self-serve and in most cases a less expensive option.
I like to prepare as much as I can ahead of time, so that the day of the party I’m not running around trying to get it all together! Walmart Grocery makes this super easy. It takes 2 seconds to register and then you are off to shop for your party food ingredients – all online! You can use Walmart’s Grocery service any time (not just for parties) – I love how they offer best sellers from my area, trending items, and featured items all on the home page.
After you are done shopping ($30 minimum order), book your time slot that you’ll pick your order up. You have to choose your pick-up location, then the one hour time frame that you’d like to pick up the order. You can order days in advance too, which is great when you want to seriously plan ahead!
Themes
The holiday itself could be the perfect theme, but sometimes it is nice to add a little creativity to it. Some ideas include:
- Winter White Party: Request that the guests dress in white and extend that theme through to the decorations and food.
- Ugly Sweater Party: Request that the guests wear their ugliest sweater and have a contest to see who wins.
- White Elephant Gift Exchange: Request each guest to bring a gift (determine the cost – usually it’s $10 – 20) to the party. It has to be gift-wrapped but with NO name on it. Each guest picks a number out of a hat, and depending on their number, they either choose a gift from the pile or steal one from someone that already opened theirs. It’s a lot of fun!
Decorations
Get festive tablecloths with matching plates and utensils. Choose holiday-inspired music to play lightly in the background.
PREP TIME!
Food
If you decide to cook for the party yourself, be sure to schedule the preparation of the dishes ahead of time. This way everything will be ready at the same time. Anything you can prep ahead of time, like the cheese platter or certain dips, definitely do so.
Your Home
Put out all of the decorations, if purchased. Set up a central location in the kitchen or dining area for the plates, cups, napkins, and utensils.
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